Discover Rome Part 1: The Colosseum

Rome! We finally made it! Alan and I were both looking forward to discovering this incredible city. Everywhere you turn, there’s a statue or fountain or square of importance. It’s really cool. We devoted our first full day to the Roman forum, Paladine Hill, and Colosseum. Now it would’ve been really easy to just walk around and think “Ooo, more rocks,” so I insisted we get a tour. Ruins need explanation. And our tour guide painted an incredible picture. And I, of course, want to share it with you! So welcome to Discover Rome: The Colosseum.

Sunday

The Roman forum was flooded and buried so that there are level upon level of history. The lower you go, the earlier the history.

The large brick building was the original senate.

The Middle Ages was Rome’s dark age. No one lived here—it was post apocalyptic. The buildings and statues are so destroyed because the originals were pillaged to build new buildings.

This round building was also a senate. These are the only original doors in the whole area. And they still have the original key to unlock it.

The arch of Titus gave us a good idea of what the area was supposed to look like. This was built after Judea was conquered.
Paladin Hill is completely ruined. It was the original palace. The emperors lived here in complete splendor. Of the 90+ emperors, only 8 died peacefully in their sleep.

Behind the ruins is a museum of some of the most impressive marble pieces the recovered.

(Talk about chiseled abs!)

Some of the best views are found stop the Paladin Hill.

This is where the Renaissance was born. It was a basilica when Michelangelo and all the others would come to sketch and learn.

Then we entered the Colosseum! The riches had the ground seats and the higher the seat the poorer the man. Above all the men, were the women’s seats. The women were seated so high so they couldn’t see the mostly naked handsome men to appease the jealous Roman husbands. The sweat of the gladiators was collected and sold as an aphrodisiac.

The gladiator spectacle began early in the morning. They pitted animals against animals and animals against hunters first. There were jugglers and acrobats. Convicts died in the arena. It was an “education”—you mess up and you’re thrown to a bear. They would reenact the legends using people they wished to kill. The fights—as we think of them—were well matched, there were rules, referees, and the survival rate was around 90% in one period because the gladiators were assets—a lot of money and time were placed in their training.

The colosseum was began in 72 AD and ended in 80 AD. Built in 8 years! And that includes draining a lake the size of two football fields.

Join in next week for the rest of Rome! It’s was a fabulous trip, one I could not be more grateful for.

Where would you most like to visit? How do you like to travel–wandering around, guided tours?

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